Trolley-wheel.



PATBNTEDOGT. so, 1906.

Noi'834,so2.

' H. L. HUMPHREY.

TROLLEY, WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED IOV.18.19,05.

P off, and to also vidmg an extended bearing-surface anr UNITED srA-rnsPATENT orrron. I HENRY L. nunrhainr, or MONROE, MICHIGAN.

' I TROLLEY-WHE EL.

.l'0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I HENRY L. HUMPHREY, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Monroe, in the county of Monroe and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and. useful lmprovementsin lrolley-Wheels, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

T is invention relatesto improvements in. trolley wheels; and its objectis to providea wheel which is free to rotate and has a limited. lateralrocking or universal movement to permit the wheel to more readily.follow the trolley-wire, and thus prevent its running lessen thefriction and consequent wear. This limited universal movement of thewheel also permits the wheelin going around curves to turn independentlyof the trolley-pole enough to bring its plane of rotation as nearly inlongitudinal alinement with the wire as possible, thus elimina'ting fromthis wheelthe tendency of the wheel as ordinarily constructed to runoffand to bind the wire between its flanges, owing to the divergence of thedirection of thewire and the direction of the plane of rotation of thewheel.

Afurther object of this invention is to prevent undue wear of thewheel-bearing by Fig)- Y providing an oil-reservoir and channels toconduct the oil to the surface to be lubri cated. I

To this end the invention consists in providing -a' ball-and-socketbearing or journal for the wheel' upon which it revolves freely and isfree to turn or tilt laterally a limited distance, the ball furnishingan extended bearing-surface and a suitable groove or chamber in the ballsupplying oil to its surface to lubricate the same; and the inventionfurther consists inthe novel construction, ar-

' rangement, and combination of parts, all as hereinafter more fullydescribed, and shown in vthe accompanying 1 drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device em-- bodying the invention;Fig. 2, a transverse section of the same through the axis of the wheel,and Fig. 3 is an elevation of one half of the wheel detached and showingthe inner surface thereof.

As shown in the drawings, 1 is the harp oryoke in which the wheel issupported, the same being provided with a soc et portion 2 to receive atrolley-pole and the upper end of Specification of Letters Patent.Application filed November 13,1905. Serial No. 287,009.

Patented Oct. 30, 1906.

one of the-arms thereof with a countersunk hole to receive a tie-bolt 3,having a screwhead to engage the countersink, the opposite arm beingprovided with a screw-threaded opening to said bolt. which is held fromturning thereonby the bolt, which draws the arms of the harp intocontact with the ends of the sleeve and firmly clam s it between, acotter-pin- 5 being provider to engage a hole in the projectingscrew-threaded end of the bolt and .to lie within a groove in the arm toprevent the bolt "from turning when fully turned in to clamp the sleeve.Intermediate itsends the sleeve 4 is formed with an integral sphericalenlargement or ball 6, formed with a circumferential groove 7, which-incross-section is I triangular in form, with the apex of the trianglecutting the surface of .the ball and forming anarrow slot 8 therein allthe way around i the ball;

The trolley-wheel 9 is made in halves secured together by bolts 10,extending through openings in its s okes 11, which connect its nm 12,formed with side flan es 13 to form a circumferential groove for t etrolley-wire,

with the'hub portion of the wheel.

The hub 1e of the wheel isforrned with a hollow spherical enlargement15, forming when the two halves of the wheel are secure together asocket to receive the ball 6, and

said. hub extends laterally toward each arm of the harp, and theinternal diameter'of-its bore 16 is made considerably greater than thediameter of the sleeve 4, so asto permit the wheel to not only rotate .uon said ball alone without contacting the sleeve, but to turnlaterallythereon, such lateral movereceive the screw-threaded end of Upon thisbolt 3 is a sleeve 4,

ment being limited by the hub coming m contact with the sleeve. Formedaround thesocket ortion 15 of the hub is a circular oil-cham er 17,which communicates with the groove 7 in the ball through openings 18 inthe wall of the socket.

Oil is thus suppliedto the groove from this chamber while the wheel isstanding still, as thecentrifugal force will keep the oil in the chamberfrom enterin the groove while the wheel is in motion, an oil will besupplied to the bearing-surface of the ball and socket throu h the slot8 from said groove while the wlieel is in motion, as said ball is heldfrom turning, and therefore the centrifugal no force of the revolvingwheel will not affect the oil in the groove and it will pass throughopenings :in the wall of the hub the slot to the bearing-surface,effectually lubricating the same.

Oil is introduced into the chamber 17 through an opening 19 in its side,which opening is closed by a cap 20, heldin place over the opening by aspring 21.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I'claim is.-

1. The combination Witha trolley-wheel, of a fixed support for saidWheel having a circumferential groove formed triangular in cross-sectionwith the "apex of said triangle cutting the surface of the support toform a slot therein, and a hub portion on the Wheel to receive and turnupon said su port.

2. a The combination with a trol ey-wheel, of a fixed ball having acircumferential roove formed triangular in cross-section with the apexof said triangle'cutt ing the surface of t e ball to form a slottherein, a hub on the Wheel forming a socket to receive the ball, and anoil-chamber on the wheel surrounding the hub and communicat' with saidgroove in the ball.

3.. The combination with atrolley-harp, of

the rim and said chamber,

'g through a sleeve formed with a spherical enlargement having acircumferential groove formed triangular in cross-section with the apexof the triangle cutting the surface of the s here and forming a slottherein, a binding-b0 t extending through said sleeve and openin s inthe harp, a trolley-Wheel made in ha ves and formed with alaterally-extending hub portion having an enlarged ortion forming asocket for the sphere an having a bore of greater diameter than thediameter of the sleeve at each side of said spherical portion, anoil-chamber around the socket portion of the hub and communicatingthrough openings in'the Wall of said socket with the groove inthespherical portion, spokes connecting and bolts extending throughopenings in the spokes to secure the halves of the wheel together.

In testimony whereof I afi'uc my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY L. HUMPHREY.

Witnesses:

Tnos. G. LONGSLAFF, Or'ro F. BARTHEL.

